


A challenge

by Nomiallinettia



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, F/M, Fiction, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), RWBY - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-03-25 06:25:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13828392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomiallinettia/pseuds/Nomiallinettia
Summary: You always needed new challenges to keep you going in life. It just was too boring if not. Well, Salem and her team were apparently the new bad guys in Remnant. How hard could it be to join them?(Spoilers for volume 5. Happens during volume 4. I suck at summaries. enjoy.)





	1. A walk in the park

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One shots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13572372) by [Nomiallinettia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomiallinettia/pseuds/Nomiallinettia). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an introduction chapter. You'd be totally fine skipping to the next one if description bores you.

You kept on walking through the woods. The threes around you were green and the birds were chirping joyously. You had been in this forest for weeks now. Walking aimlessly as it would seem; the goal in your head was actually very clear. You had to find the location of their hide out, fortress or lair, whatever they wanted to call it. As you strolled and kept your eye open for any proof of human activity around here, your mind went back in the past to when you started your quest.

You were drinking in a not so friendly neighborhood of Mistral, eavesdropping on the conversation between two white fang tugs at another table.

“As I said, I’ve heard we’re working with some humans now.” The first one scoffed, taking a sip at his drink. “Apparently we have common goals and all.”

“I don’t understand. We never needed any humans to help us!” The second exclaimed.

“Hey keep it down.” He warned his companion. “It’s all just rumors, but she’s supposed to be all powerful. Her and her … minions.” He sighed.

They went on talking about how they were questioning this new alliance and you didn’t listen. You had never really cared about the Faunus. Not out of malice, more because you just really didn’t care for anyone or anything, not for Faunus, not for other humans, no one. You wanted fun, and to be smart and to win. You just didn’t quite know what you wanted to win yet.

In any case, that night, your interest had been peeked. Who was this mysterious woman raising a team to help the White Fang destroy humans, and probably everyone else for that matter. Where was she? And most of all, how could you join that reckless team? And so the search had been launched. After a couple of interrogations and many beatings, you found some answers. Salem was terrifying and planning on ruling the world. She had some spy infiltrating academies and was planning to get weapons hidden within the school’ buildings. She was responsible for the fall of Beacon. An old Faunus also told you how magic was real and the legends were true. You were still skeptical about that one. Dust could do amazing thing and it was easy to call it magic. Salem could easily be an expert in dust manipulation. The last thing you learn, after beating a bandit enough, was that Salem was hiding somewhere in the west of Mistral, in a rock castle, in a rocky plain. The whole thing was surrounded by tall mountains and darks woods. And lastly, it was overrun by all sorts of grimms. A walk in the park.

And here you were, walking in a deep dark forest, searching for red rocky plains with a stone castle in the middle, surrounded by grimms. “What a smart girl am I.” You thought to yourself. You had encountered many grimms in the past few days and so you had to be getting closer. You avoided most of them. There was no point in fighting the monsters if you could simply pass by them without being noticed. You could’ve easily killed all of them, that is if they didn’t rush you by hundreds, that would’ve been hard. A few years back, you would’ve taken the dare of killing any grimm. Nowadays, it was too easy. Not being seen, that was more difficult.

As you kept on walking, watching out for grimms, you spotted an opening through the trees up ahead. You almost ran to it, excited to finally escape the dull forest. You came to a full stop quickly enough as the opening was actually a cliff side. In front of you, a red empty plain laid down at the bottom of the cliff. “Finally”. On either side of you, the cliff seemed to be infinite, going off into the distance. The plain sat in a valley, hidden by a forest surrounding it. You could not tell how far it went but could spot some tall mountains far ahead. In the distance, you could hardly make out the silhouette of a castle. Everything was red. Most importantly, there were Grimms scattered all around the place, roaming, waiting for someone to bite on. You sat down on the edge of the cliff, analysing the situation. There was no place to hide, a part from a few boulders, and no way to avoid the grimms. If one was to spot you, the roars and screeches would alert all the others. The castle seemed about 1km away, maybe less. You could make a run for it, but what if that wasn’t a fortress but just some taller rocks? If you ran all the way up there, you’d have no energy left to run back and no way to get away from the monsters waiting for you. You took a deep breath. Looking at the horizon, you slowly stated, solemnly,

“I have trained in school, joined with bandits, helped people in impossible situations, stolen from the richest families in Vale, fought many hunters and huntresses… I am certainly not dying today. No way.” On that note, you pushed yourself off from the edge and started falling. On your way down, you thought about how dramatic those last words were. You really had to spend some time with people; being too alone for too long wasn’t good on you.

You landed rolling frontward and immediately bolted towards your only chance. It only took a few seconds for the near monsters to spot you and charge. Those few seconds, however, were enough of a start. You could hear footsteps getting closer, hooves galloping behind you and claws griping the dust, closing in. “As long as I don’t hear wings clapping, it should be ok.” You prayed silently. And suddenly you felt a breath of hot hair on your arm. “Too close!” your mind screamed. You swiftly took your gun out of its holster, attached to your lower right leg. Glancing back, you dead eye shot the grimm closest to you. A huge bear like creature, surprisingly fast for his size. Luckily, you were getting closer to what you had seen from the cliff. It was not a castle or a fortress of any kind but a sort of door, or portal, more accurately. On the other side, the ground was still rocky red, but the sky was a whole different colour. It was pitch black. You didn’t have time to think more about it as the grimms were getting closer and closer and you wouldn’t be able to keep this pace up for much longer. You ran through the opening in the rocks and crossed your fingers the monsters wouldn’t follow here.

You always knew luck wasn’t on your side and fate decided to prove you right once again. Although not all grimms followed you into this new dimension, or world, you had yet to discover where you were, many did. However, this new environment did present an advantage for you; there were steep rocks, many cliffs and hills. With all the strength you could muster, you jumped to the top of a tall and steep boulder. Gun in hand, you waited for the grimms to start climbing but none were able to. Some went back to the other plain and others decided to wait for you. You sat down, breathing heavily from the run, and took a look around this new place.

The moon was low in the dark sky and the cloud appeared red, reflecting the dark red soil. It took a moment for your eyes to adjust since it was very sunny on the other side of that… portal. This new place, dimension, was weird.  Scattered all over the place, stood purple crystals, some gigantic and other no bigger than your hand. Here and there, you saw some pond made of black goo. You definitely wouldn’t go for a swim. Not that you particularly enjoyed swimming anyway. The whole place was pretty grim. Speaking of which, you could spot some roaming around in the distance. “At least, I’ll be able to avoid those ones.” You stated looking down. You took out a black cylinder out of your pouch and screwed it slowly to the barrel of your gun. There was no reason to attract all of them. With precision, you shot the remaining grimms under your feet. When you looked back up, you saw it. There, in the distance, there was a castle, tall and majestic, piercing the black sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: spoiler for final of volume 5)  
> Hear me out here. Y'all know how the relic in Vale was kind of in an other dimmension? I was thinking and what if Salem has done the same for her fortress/hide out. Looking at the map of Remnant I couldn't figure out where exactly she could be hidding, or where would that black thick goo thing would be. It hit me as I was realising that salem and Ozpin both have great magic powers, most likely. So. Anyway, just a theory.


	2. New friends

You’d arrived at the castle. It was absolutely gigantic. Two large wooden doors stood in front of you. You held the metal knob and banged it against the wood surface. You waited. After a few minutes you started wondering if maybe someone was there when you heard a metallic sound behind you. One of the doors slowly open to let a man looked at you. He glanced behind you and without even saying hello:

“Please come in. We don’t want the grimms to get here before the door is locked again.” He opened the door further to let you in and promptly closed it behind you. He then turned some metallic wheels and bars. It seemed very complicated and you assumed it was what kept the door locked and, most importantly, the grimms out. He then backed away a few steps gauging you and you did the same.

_Salem will want to see this._

He stood straight, keeping his chin high. He must’ve been at least a feet taller than you. His hair was dark and grey by some parts. He wore a grey vest with yellow underlines on top of a burgundy cordovan and a yellow undershirt. His clothes were cleaned and matching. His mustache was well taken care of. His whole appearance screamed luxury and snobbism. You mentally scoffed wondering what could he possibly be doing here.

None of you spoke, eyeing scornfully the other. You broke the silence first, reaching out to shake his hand.

_Salem will want to see this._

“Please to meet you." You said in a dry note. You figured it was better to stay placid with this guy. He didn’t seem like the kind of person to have fun. Or, actually, to even know what fun was. He blatantly ignored your hand.

“May I ask, why are you here?” He simply asked you.

“I am no enemy. I am not a threat.” You started explaining. _Salem will want to see this._

 He scoffed.

“Obviously.” He slightly grinned. “I don’t think a girl could be dangerous to us.” You ignored the insult and continued.

“I need new friends.” In no way were you to actually explain why you were there. You would have to find a real excuse soon enough. “I heard some people residing here could have great potential and that I could be of help.” _Salem will want to see her._

“How did you find us?” He asked. His eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of concern.

“It was difficult. Took weeks.” You explained. He nodded, thinking. _Salem will want to meet her._ He then smiled with malice.

“Well. If it is friends you’re looking for, please, follow me. Miss?” He looked at you from head to toes.

“Silver. Eerie Silver.” You answered, holding his gaze. He turned around and started walking away. You quickly followed, sighing silently.

He led you down a big hallway. Windows were scattered on both sides, giving view on the land around you. The moon was still high and the ground still red. Here and there, some torches lit the way. There were also a few purple crystals decorating the walls. You arrived in a hall framed by two stairways. You could spot 3 other hallways leading in other parts of the castle. Everything had a bloody colour, from the floor to the walls and even the ceiling high up seemed painted in a dark purple. The man went up the stairs and not once did he look back to make sure you were following. You were actually getting excited to meet Salem finally. You had no idea what to expect. You knew it would be hard to convince her, but your plan was made and you had rehearsed it during weeks as you walked through the woods.

After a few turns you arrived at another door, also huge. Everything was huge in this fortress. The man turned around to face you and told you to wait here as he announced your arrival. You nodded and waited, standing straight, keeping your calm. He went inside and closed the door behind him, leaving you alone in the big empty hallway. You quickly rehearsed your plan one last time. He came back shortly after he had entered and opened the door widely. He grinned as he spoke.

“Please come in.” You didn’t hesitate and walked in.

_Don't kill her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very short chapter. Third one will be longer and published sooner as well.


	3. Salem is scary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about typos and other errors.

Salem was sitting at a table, surrounded by four empty chairs. The man stood in front of her at the other side of the table.

“Here she is, your majesty.’ He bowed his head slightly.

“Thank you Watts. Leave us.” She stated in a flat voice. You mentally noted the man’s name. You stood straight beside the entrance, observing Salem. _I should hear here out. This is interesting._

 

Salem seemed tall, even sitting. Her skin was white as a ghost with what seemed to be black blood vessels running in her neck, at the base of her skull and from her eyes. She wore a black dress with a revealing neckline. Her pale grey hair was held up in a complicated hairdo with some kind of jewelleries intertwined with some strands of hair. Most of all, her eyes were black with red irises. The whole sight was quite frightening. “She can’t be human” you thought to yourself. Your eyes locked with hers and you realised she was also observing you. _I should hear what she has to say._ After a too long second, she spoke.

“We don’t get many visitors.” She tilted her head, annoyed or curious, it was hard to tell, “No one wanders in the valley or near the grimms.” You didn’t say a thing, waiting for an actual question. _What can she do for me anyway?_  She looked deeper in your eyes and finally asked “what can you do for me?”

“I- I think you know already” You hesitated a bit. She was a lot more intimidating than you had imagined. You had never been intimidated before. Sure, some people were better fighter than you, but you were always smarter. Somehow, you felt like with this adventure, being smarter wouldn’t cut it. _Is she in my mind?_ Salem was looking directly at you.

“Mmh” was her only response so you kept talking.

“I’m not a bad fighter. I am smart.” _I should ask about her semblance._ You started walking slowly towards her. “I can be very discreet. And I can also-” You were cut midsentence.

“I already have people with these attributes. What about your semblance.” She said dryly. _But I already know, don’t I?_ You were getting closer to the table.

“But you already know, don’t you?” You smiled contemptuously. Salem seemed truly interested in you now. You took a few steps further and stood at the other end of the table, facing her.

“How does it work?” She asked.

“I can influence someone’s will. Some say it’s mind intrusion but it’s not quite that. I can’t add a thought that was never there or could never be there in the first place. I couldn’t make someone do something they absolutely can’t. For example, I can’t make a man try to fly, he knows he can’t. In a fight, I can’t convince someone to not attack me if that is truly what they wanted to do. However, I can make them protect their left side; make them truly believe that this is where I will hit. It took me several years to perfect it. Most people don’t even notice when I intrude their will. Then again, most are idiots. When people do notice, they usually think it’s their inner voice speaking or a ghost even. I always worked really hard to keep my semblance to myself. It doesn’t work if the person I’m trying to influence knows about it.”

“How many people can you influence at once?”

“Depends on how much I have to modify their will. If it’s a slight alteration or easy task, like making people laugh at a joke that is not so funny, a dozen maybe. Convincing one individual to not kill me when that is what they want to do is almost impossible; it takes too much energy.”

“Yet, here you stand. I would bet you’re not the kind of person to not have enemies.”

“There are ways around it. For example, I can make the person ask me a question which gives me time and, in the end, the upper hand.”

Salem sat emotionless, staring at you, thinking. Her expression was a blank page and you knew there was no point in using your semblance now. You really hoped you had convinced her of your usefulness.

“I can make people tell me things” you started slowly, “I can make them want to tell me things they wouldn’t tell you…” She scoffed and you froze, almost taking a step back.

“I see. You think I don’t already know everything there is to know about the people surrounding me?” She sighed, looking away for a minute. “I don’t think I need anyone to assure obedience within my ranks.” She motioned for something to come to her, but nothing did.

“You never know. You plans are grand and they will bring chaos to everything.” And there, out of the corner of your eyes, you saw something move. You spoke faster. There was still time to talk, no reason to fight yet. “What if your soldiers aren’t quite happy with the results, what if they plan on leaving? I would know. I will know.” You insisted on that last sentence taking a step away from what had moved in the dark. You saw a tentacle and heard a weird noise.

Salem then motioned to the thing to stop and looked back at you. “You make a point.” She thought for a while. “It is decided then. You will live among us and question everyone’s loyalty here. They will not know about your purpose here. Leave now.” You sighed, relieved, bowed down and left promptly.

 

You closed the door behind you and took a deep breath. You did it. You had made Salem keep you. The task ahead wouldn’t be easy. She had seemed to see right through you as you had worked your semblance on her. You doubted her henchmen were idiots. Sighing one more time, you looked around you.

The hallway you were in ended with the door to the room you were just in. You started walking back and found your way back to the two stairways. On the first floor, there were four corridors, including the one leading to the entrance door. On the second floor, where you presently stood, you counted two passages total. There was no one to be seen. You looked around. You had no idea where to go. You remembered seeing another passage coming to this hall from the entrance. You could start by this? Or you could go straight ahead and visit the second hallway of this floor.

“I don’t really feel like walking those stairs down anyway” You thought lazily. You headed up straight to the other corridor.

 

The first two doors were locked, to your annoyance, but the last one wasn’t and you slowly opened it. You found yourself in an immense library. Every wall was covered in shelves hardly bearing the weight of all the books. A few comfortable chairs were pushed against the columns. In the middle of the room, there was a small table covered in notes and opened books. On a board behind the table was written complicated formulas.

“Hello?” You softly said as you entered slowly, “Is anyone here?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to not disturb me?” the board spoke, or rather, Watts, standing behind the board.

“Actually, you never did, Doctor.” you answered sheepishly. Your guess was that Watts already saw you as an annoying ignorant little girl. It was better to play the part. It was always better to act the way people thought you’d act; thereby, it was easier to influence them. And you weren’t sure about the PhD deal, but his snobbery had to come from somewhere. He looked too proud of himself. In any case, it was better to call him doctor mistakenly and blame it on how smart he looked than to insult the man. You sighed interiorly. _I should help her and maybe she’ll leave sooner._ You heard a loud and long sigh followed by Watts’ appearance.

“What can I do for you miss Silver?” He said annoyed.

“I’m lost. Could you maybe show me the way around this gigantic castle? Or maybe someone else could help? You seemed busy with important work. I didn’t mean to intrude…” You tried to smile as gently as you could.

“Yes I see. So back to the stairs, there is a small sign beside one of the hall that reads “exit”, take the first turn, you will find the kitchen. At this hour, you are sure to find young Emerald. Surely, she will help.” He explained.

“Thank you.” You simply replied, leaving the room. He nodded and went back to his board. Whatever he was doing, you definitely had to come back to check it out. You went straight to the kitchen.

 

As you entered, calling out for someone, the smell of fresh cooking food reminded you how hungry you were. You looked around. The kitchen was surprisingly modern. Everything was made in stainless, a part from the clean white tiles on the floor and walls. It seemed to be the only room lighted by actually electrical bulbs. It took a few seconds for your eyes to adjust. On the counter in the middle of the room was sitting a nice salad. On the stove, you saw some chicken sizzling in a pan. One thing was missing in this room: someone. You were completely alone. “I don’t think they have magic food that cooks itself?” You whispered, trying to hear someone.

Suddenly, you felt a blade to your throat. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the arm holding it flickering before finally appearing. It was a svelte tanned arm. Maybe this Emerald wasn’t so eager to help after all. You then felt the tip of a gun on you lower back.

“Don’t move.” And well, you didn’t move. _I should hear her out. How did she get in?_ The young girl asked threateningly, “Who are you?”

“A new friend” You slowly raised your hands in a sign of nonresistance. “I am not a threat.”

She scoffed, “yeah, I’ve heard that before. How did you get in?” She asked, tightening the blade on your throat.

“I knocked at the door. A Dr Watts opened and led me to Salem.” You explained. _If Salem wanted her dead, she would be. I ought to be nice; she’s probably Salem’s new addition to our team._

“Alright. Well, my dinner is going to burn so…” You heard a low sigh. The pressure of the blade and gun disappeared. You heard some shuffling behind you and turned around to a young girl smiling softly.

“I’m Emerald.” She extended her hand. You shook it.

“I’m Eerie.”


	4. A meal and a secret

Emerald kept on cooking her chicken. You both sat at the table. Seeing you almost drooled over yourself from watching her meal, she decided to share. After a couple of bites, she started the conversation.

“So, why are you here?”

You swallowed hardly. You needed a quick lie. “My semblance. Salem thinks it could be useful.” You took another bite. You carefully enacted your semblance, trying to feel her mind. It was hard to describe, but a part of being able to manipulate people resided on your ability to feel their thoughts, their general state of mind. It varied between emotions and thoughts fragments. From doing so, you could tell somewhat how the person felt about a specific thing. You really didn’t get much info out of these small intrusions, if you may call them that, but it was enough to tell how you should use your semblance. You weren’t going to influence Emerald right way, but you needed to know more about her, more than what she would willingly share.

“Uh. I meant, why did you join us?” She rephrased it.

“Oh, I was bored?” you shrugged. “Why are you here?” You asked emphasising on the you.

“A while ago, I was on the streets and Cinder took me in, saved me, literally.” She seemed lost in a memory for a split second. You could tell she deeply cared about this Cinder.

“Who’s Cinder?” You asked.

“Wait. You saw Salem, did she not tell you anything? Or Watts?” She seemed both surprised and suspicious.

“No, actually, Watts almost threw me out of the library and I didn’t want to stick around Salem too long.” You explained. You could feel she wasn’t surprised by Watts’ doing and she seemed to share your fear of Salem.

“Yeah, seems about like an Arthur thing to do. He’s kind of a prick.” She said annoyed.

“Yeah I noticed” you smiled, amused, “I bet he’s not the only prick around, is he?”

“Oh”, she exclaimed, “You’re in for a treat!” She laughed and you felt she liked you already.

Emerald seemed to be a few years younger than you and yet, was very mature. You felt some kind of loneliness to her mind which was a common thing among thieves and what not. Her green hair and eyes matched perfectly. She was absolutely stunning. You both spent the rest of the evening talking about your pasts and showed each other your weapons. Obviously, you left out a couple, well, many details out of your past. All in all, you made it look like you had a similar path as her; only you never had a Cinder to save you. Her weapon, a mix between blades, guns and a grappling hook, was very useful and multifunctional. It made yours look a tad boring. You had your gun holstered to your leg and a hidden blade attached to your left arm. Your main weapon was basically a stick. Your four rings, which you always had on, could connect and then extend to a full combat stick. Each ring was imprinted with a different dust to have different effects when impacted. You also carried a couple extra rings in your side pocket, just in case.

“Wow! That stick is amazing! Super easy to transport!” Emerald was impressed. “I just hope you know how to fight with it” she laughed.

You shrugged. “Of course I do.” You shrunk you stick and put your rings back. “Emerald?”

“Yeah,” she looked up at you.

“My hidden blade, I showed it to you, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.” She nodded. “It literally saved my life a couple of times, but only because my attacker didn’t know about it.” _I won’t tell anyone._

“Hey, I understand why. I won’t tell.” And in that moment, you knew you’d gained Emerald’s trust. It was that easy; a meal and a secret.

You silently hoped that everyone would trust you that easily but you also knew that was wishful thinking. At least, you were sure to be able to manipulate Emerald in the future without any trouble. Although, you still had to come up with a lie about the reason of your presence here…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was waiting to find inspiration to make this chapter longer. Been too long so here, have it as it is :)


	5. A Quick Chuckle

Once you were both full, you headed for the bedrooms. Emerald figured you probably would want to settle in and rest until morning. She wasn’t totally wrong; you could use a bit of sleep. She explained that there were about 20 bedrooms on the first floor and a few on the second. Only Salem and Watts were on that floor.

“He wants to be closer to his library” the green haired girl had simply disclosed. As you walked past the staircases, you notice someone sitting on the railing, his legs dangling above the hall. You slowly came to a stop to observe the man. He was looking directly at you with a wicked smile. You returned the smile, in a more civil manner though. Emerald called the man down to introduce the both of you. She seemed uneasy. The guy fell down the second floor, doing a front flip, and landed on his feet in a crouched position. He stood back up, still smiling wickedly. His eyes seemed on the verge of popping out as he shamelessly scrutinized you from toe to top. “At least, Watts had been a tad more subtle about it” you thought to yourself. The man was wearing white clothes with some brown leather belts and boots to match. You quickly saw something moving in his back and thought you hallucinated.

“Eerie, this is Tyrian. Tyrian, this is a new recruit, Eerie.” Emerald gestured to the both of you, annoyed by either having to make presentation or by Tyrian himself.

“Eerie?” Tyrian asked.

“Silver. Pleasure to meet you.” You extended your hand to shake his and were met by a huge stinger and a chuckle from the faunus. The scorpion tail was attached to the man’s back. You were quick to keep your surprise to yourself and simply shook said stinger. You looked directly in Tyrian’s eyes as he did the same. His smile faded a pinch. Your stern reaction was not what he was hoping for.

“Where are two young little girls headed to?” He asked, his smile back, visibly not hurt by his failed prank after all.

“I’m showing her to her room.” Emerald sighed. She clearly seemed to not like Tyrian’s presence and you were starting to understand why.

“I had a long trip and I really need some rest.”

“Ohhh” he cooed, “I bet you do! I’ll let you to it then. I’m sure we’ll have time to chat later!” He said those last words with an even more evil smile, which was surprising in itself.

Emerald didn’t stay any longer and dragged you with her. You watched as Tyrian jumped back up on his perch.

 

There were dozens of free rooms and you chose one in the middle, in front of Mercury’s, whoever that was. Emerald noted how fitting your choice was; yours and Mercury’s name both derived from the colour grey. You internally rolled your eyes. It was fitting, but you really couldn’t care less about colours. Evidently, you wore grey clothing because it wasn’t a hassle to match. Plus, no one in a crowd seemed to ever remember the girl wearing grey; it was the perfect colour to pass unnoticed. She wished you good rest and left to go train. She quickly told you where all the important rooms were and left.

 

You room was dull but sophisticated.  There were only a bed, a desk and wardrobe. The bed was double sized and the sheets seemed more than comfortable. You were happy to see four pillows and additional blankets were in the wardrobe. The stoned floor was covered by a simple patterned mat. The main theme seemed to be dark red. A few torches hung from the walls. A door led to a bathroom fully equipped: toilet, sink, and shower. Towels and all the necessities were already in place, ready to be used. You truly felt like this would be a comfortable stay. You went to bed and were happy to find out that you could lock your door. You weren’t scared of a potential attacker within this castle; you didn’t really trust your new “team” just yet. As your mind slipped to darkness, you thought of Tyrian and how it’d be interesting to feel what went on behind those crazy eyes and wicked smile.

 

The next morning, you woke up and had a thought about all those nights spent in the forest, sleeping in the dirt. You didn’t bother to make your bed and went straight to the kitchen for a quick breakfast. You went back to your room for a brief shower and hurriedly made a messy bun of your long hair. Once clothed and ready, you headed out for the “common room”. Emerald had said it was kind of a huge living room with two fireplaces and a good view of the land and sky.

 

You opened the door to find just what you were expecting as well as luxury armchairs paired with small coffee table. You walked in and notice someone sitting on top of backrest of a chair, in a corner, turned in such way to observe the exterior. You recognized Tyrian by the long black trait and white shirt. You sat down on another chair, facing away from him. A few seconds later, he was sitting in front of you. You had hoped you’d get this time to think alone, but now was as good as any other time to chat with the guy. You decided to wait for him to talk first. He was staring at you directly in your eyes and you decided to do the same. His wicked grin was still on display. His eyes were an intense shade of yellow, diving in them, in felt as if you were staring at the sun, only, without the burning. His gaze was completely focused on you. While you weren’t used to people looking at you so much- you usually avoided such attention- it was fascinating. After a couple of second of this staring contest, you active your semblance and reached out to “feel” his mind. “Strange.” You thought, as it felt like you were touching dirt. After a few try, you found a way in and felt only chaos. Your eyes widened slightly at the feeling. Nothing made sense. Everything was but darkness, lust and playfulness.  Obviously, you could tell before even using your semblance that Tyrian was clearly not all there. This level of psychosis was incredible though. _Think._ Images were racing all over the place and faster than those of normal people. _Think._ You were trying to clear his mind a little, just to get a glimpse of something to help you figure out his motives. _Think._ Your influence seemed to have no effect. _Think Tyrian._ Suddenly, everything disappeared; his mind was pitched black, in a way. You heard a small chuckle at first and saw Tyrian pupils dilate. Then, you felt blood, a lot of it. He started laughing uncontrollably. You immediately stopped using your semblance and stared at him, appalled and a tad fascinated. He laughed for several minutes and even started rolling on his chair. You sat back in yours and waited for him to regain his calm.

“What was so funny Tyrian?” you asked calmly once he stopped laughing manically.

“What shouldn’t be funny?” he asked back, always grinning. You thought to yourself that he probably had cramps from smiling so much.

“Many things.” You answered dryly and redirected your question, “but just now, what was funny? What did you think about?” You wanted to grasp him, find out what was his basis for doing anything.

“You’re awfully curious aren’t you? Wouldn’t you like to know what’s on my mind” _Enough playing, I should answer._

“You’re right Tyrian, I do want to know.” You decided to play another card. “I feel left out. I want to laugh too!” You smiled at him. _I should let her know. It’ll be funny._

“Well, in that case,” he crouched down, getting closer, and said in a soft rational tone, “I think you’re just slim enough to be impaled by one of the many crystals in this castle.” And as he finished his sentence, he resumed laughing. You sat there and stared blankly. You had to think and clearly you had the time for it. First off, this fact wasn't that hilarious. and second, you weren't that slim. In any case, what was the best thing to do here? Was he threatening you? Should you defend yourself? The guy was completely nuts. He seemed highly unadjusted to any social rule. His mind clearly proved it. There were no reason to anger him, who knew what he’d do then. But then, you didn't want to get too close to him; psychopaths tend to kill people close to them, don't they?

 

So you settled for a small chuckle in his direction and left the room. Walking down the hallway, you could still hear him shrieking. At least, his true intentions were clear and Salem could rest assured; as long as there’d be blood and carnage, Tyrian would stick around and obey.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just my take on Tyrian's brain.


	6. A man of very few words

The day went by and you walked around the castle, exploring. It was gigantic. There were many bedrooms further down the hall where your own was. Visiting Watts in the library, you found out it had a second part to it you hadn’t notice the first time around. More books piled on dusty shelves and desks laid around, ready to be used. Salem was out and you took the opportunity to take a closer look to the room you met her in. The large table was surrounded by high luxury chairs. In the back of the room a tall throne stood against a window. “Probably Salem’s.” The sky seemed to never change. The outside world was still dark and red, the ground covered in odd grimms of all kinds. They all seemed very old; some, you couldn’t even tell what animal they were supposed to be in the first place. Then again, some people didn’t believe they were once animal; grimms were created monsters and would be for eternity. You didn’t really care about the coming of grimms, or even of their reckoning. Most villages you’d visited were hoping monsters would one day disappear. The land below you was the proof of the exact opposite. Something was making new grimms and whatever it was, it wouldn’t be stopped so easily. That was partly why you abandoned school. Why bother becoming a huntress if you’d never succeed anyway? Plus, apparently, huntresses, and hunters, were supposed to obey a strict moral code of conduct. “Rules.” You scoffed. “Not for me, no thank you.” Well. You had followed some rules in the past, but mostly because they happened to align with your mood at that time. You didn’t necessarily want to break them. You just didn’t care. You found it hard to care about anything. All you wanted in life was to push further the limits of your own possibilities. On every adventure you took, the line between the impossible and the possible was broken and remodeled.

In school, you were told that good, saving people, helping those in needs, defeating evil, was your one true goal in life, as a huntress. Teachers would repeat all day long how your skills were to be used for good, and not for mischiefs. It seemed your classmates surpassed you in that competence; you couldn’t figure out why. Why did you have to use your powers for the wellbeing of other? Your brain could easily play with other’s will; maybe the clear inexistence of your moral compass was the curse for such powers. You wouldn’t use people expressly for good or evil. That explanation made no sense. Logic and ethic would want you to use your power for good and not your own benefits, as you always did.

You frowned, leaning on your arm. You tried to avoid those kinds of reflections. They only ever ended in gibberish and headaches. Suddenly the door opened and you lifted your head up, hoping it wasn’t Salem.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” asked slowly a large man, entering the room.

“I’m Silver and I was just exploring. I’m new around here,” you stated. “Maybe I should get a tape of that answer if I am to keep meeting new people” You mumbled to yourself.

“And why are you sitting on Salem’s throne?” He asked confused.

You looked down and realized you were, in fact, sitting on Salem’s throne. It was very comfortable. You must’ve sat while thinking and didn’t even notice. You quickly stood and walked a few steps away from the chair. “I was just… Curious?” you explained, not even convincing yourself.

The man nodded. “I wished someone had told me we had a recruit” He simply answered.  He was wearing a black shirt under an olive green jacket, completed with a black belt and brown boots. His beard was well cut and matched his hazel eyes. You stood there, staring at him, silent. He walked towards the table, dropped some papers and turned around, not once looking in your direction.

You coughed slightly before he reached the door. He turned around.

“And what’s your name sir?” you asked politely.

“Hazel.” And before he could leave, you activated your semblance and got a tiny whiff of his mind. He left and your only thought was that he probably was a man of very few words.

His cerebrum felt void. Not empty and dark like Tyrian’s. It was just blank, like he was either hiding or shielding his thoughts, or he simply controlled his emotions very well. In both cases, you’d have to investigate more. He seemed very different from all the others you’d met already.

 

After a while, you decided you had enough of visiting this vast castle and figured you would probably never be able to explore every corner. Furthermore, it was probably full of secret doors and rooms. You mentally sighed, saddened to think you’d never discover everything there was to discover about this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick chapter once again. Did a bit of character "explanation"...


	7. Down memory lane

You decided it was time for you to train again a bit. You met emerald in the kitchen as you grabbed a quick lunch. You asked her about a training room of some sort. She gave you directions and you headed out, bringing your food to eat on the way.

 

You arrived in a grand room, carved in the stone, lit by torches hung on the wall around. There seemed to be some kind of balcony up high above the doors. “It was probably once an arena of some kind” you thought to yourself, reminiscing about a long forgotten past…

 

            It was a few months after you quit school. You were in Vacuo, traveling remnant. Life wasn’t easy for a young girl in this world and you had yet to master completely your semblance. You could use it when necessary though.

 

“Hi sir.” You said with an innocent smile to the merchant. _Poor thing, she’s all alone and hungry._

“Hello there.” He packed your groceries, _she looks hungry_ , “will it be all?”

“Oh yes, thank you.” You smiled. _I’ll give it to her. I’ll give her those groceries, it’s nothing._ You took your very empty wallet out of your pocket. _I’ll give her those groceries._

“It won’t be necessary young girl. It’s a gift.” You quickly put your wallet back.

“Thank you! I wish everyone would be as generous as you sir.” You took the bag and gave the man a smile you hoped looked sincere.

 

So eating wasn’t an issue and you were happy to sleep outside in a dark corner of the cities you traveled to in Vacuo. Once in a while, when you felt like fighting, you’d help a village get rid of a few grimms. The villagers were always happy to repay with food and new clothes. In those times, you could imagine your teachers scoffing at you because “a true huntress does not fight for a reward but to save and help others.”

 

One evening, as you were walking through Shade’s surrounding city, you felt a strong pair of hands grip you and a bag was thrown over your head. You had no time to fight back as your hands were quickly tied up in your back. You were thrown over someone’s shoulder and you gasp as the blow cut out your breath. Your kidnapper, or kidnappers, started running for what you felt like was an hour or so. You had thought about activating your rings to burn the ropes and escape but you were very curious of what was about to happen or why you were being captured. You endured the harsh shoulder pushing on your stomach and waited. They slowed down at some point and came to a stop. You were thrown on the ground, the bag was lifted up your head and you could finally see where you’d end up. You were in a large dark room, it was night. Crates were placed on the sides. All kinds of weapons stood on the side and on top of the crates. One heavy chest had some dust symbols painted on. People were walking around the room going in and out hurriedly. You noticed in a corner a mesh door. It was too dark to see what was behind the locked door. Two men stood before you, looking down at you. You noticed a hyena tail behind one of the men. You slowly sat down, looking up at your kidnappers, readying to assemble your rings at any moment.

“Newby. These are the rules. Fight, we won’t kill you. Win and you may leave. Am I forgetting anything?” He turned to the faunus.

“I think that summarize it really good.” He agreed, smiling.

“Who am I fighting? What is this place?” You asked. This was definitely a peculiar situation you were in. On one hand, you really wanted to fight whoever they wanted you to fight, but on the other, you didn’t enjoy them thinking they could make you do anything. Maybe you should leave right away…

“Oh yes of course. This is Pilirani’s Arena!” he gestured around him. “Well, this is the backstage of the arena.”

“And it is not who you’ll be fighting but what.” The faunus chuckled viciously. “Now, come on, let’s get you ready.” He grabbed your arm and you didn’t resist. You were brought to the mesh door and pushed in. You heard the lock behind you and sighed. Your eyes slowly adjusted to the dark and you noticed other people in the room, about a dozen or less. Most were sleeping but you found one sitting down on the opposite side of the room, looking at you. You made your way to him or her and sat down.

“Hi.” A feminine voice said. _I should explain more to her._

“Hey.” You answered softly. _I should explain things._

“They make us fight grimms.” She started. You thought the girl to be a tad older than you. “but don’t worry, they won’t let you die. Getting new contender is risky. The woman before you won and they let her go free, hence why you’re here now.”

“Has anyone escaped before?” You asked, trying to keep your voice down.

“No. And those who tried apparently died doing so.”

“Apparently?”

“No one has ever tried since I arrived.”

“How long have you been here?”

“About a year I suppose. It’s hard to tell.” You looked at her. She wore dark blue clothing with black bandages covering her stomach under her shirt. Her weapon, what appeared to be a ninjato but was probably more, was attached to her back. You saw the glimpse of a small blade in her boot. She noticed you looking at her weapon. “They’ll give you back your weapons when it’s time to fight.”

“I still have mine.” You said confused. Where they supposed to have taken your rings?

“Oh weird. Maybe they thought you didn’t have one.” She explained, “That means it’s well hidden and you should keep it that way.”

“You’re not teaching me anything new.” You looked around at the others sleeping. “Who are they?”

“Regular peeps, like you and me. Men and women, humans and faunus, mostly young but you’ll find a few older folks sometimes. Most of us never learned how to fight; it makes for a good show and that is the ultimate goal.”

 

You didn’t fight that night. You learned though that Lim, or Limbani, had already won several times but had decided to stay. She had been taken after fleeing home. She enjoyed the fights and didn’t mind the living condition; she was sheltered and fed, more than anything she ever had before. On your first fight, your captors gave you a choice of weapon and you decided to not reveal your rings. You settled down for a blade to attach to your right forearm. It meant for a closer fight which seemed to offer a good show. You easily won with a few well-placed blows to the grimm you were fighting. You were swift and agile, a small target for the clumsy enormous ursa. The spectators were quite surprised by your skills; most little girls would need defending in front of such monsters. You decided to stay. You enjoyed the adrenaline from the crowd cheering you on and the small secluded space the arena procured. You learned that dragging the fight on was a better way to please your captors. They later revealed to you that they kidnapped you to create the story of the innocent girl in need of a knight. They were planning on making other contestants enter the fights to help you. Instead, you created the legend of the girl fighting monsters with a toothpick. It was a bit of an exaggeration, but it sold tickets for Pilirani. You won every battle you fought. You even fought some with Lim. You only used your semblance a few times to get privileges, like watching the fights of other contestants. After a few months, you even helped captured the grimms for the fights. Pilirani, the owner of this illegal battle ring, was a genius. He had dug a huge tunnel leading from near the arena to a lost corner of a desert bit with many grimms roaming around. Once in a while, grimms would roam into the tunnel. You only needed to lure them to a cage near the arena. It wasn’t a hard task but the challenge resided in not killing the grimms, only leading them to were you wanted. Your skills really improved and you quickly learned how to truly master the blade.

 

In the end, what was bound to happen happened. One too many grimm was led through the tunnel and broke out. The panic emanating from the crowd lured more monsters in the tunnel and everything was destroyed. Many people died, most of the fighters and crew escaped as well as Pilirani. Hunters and huntresses were quick to intervene before too many grimms approached the city nearby. You never heard of Lim again or anyone you met there. From that day, you decided to keep your blade hidden. After all, many people in Vacuo had heard of the little girl who fought gigantic grimms with but only a small knife. You only wished you could’ve understood why Lim lured one too many grimm. You suspected she had grown a moral conscience about all those kidnapped people.

 

You sighed, chasing the memory away. A conscience wasn’t something you were even close to develop. You started stretching. A good session of training would be welcome after meeting so many new people in this castle. You were about to start when you heard the door open behind you.

“Hello.” A new voice greeted you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me doing backstory and all. Don't worry, we'll be back to Rwby's actual baddies in the next chapter.


	8. New Mysteries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, you aren't dreaming, it is indeed another chapter in less than a week! Amazing. Enjoy.

You turned around to find a young woman standing beside the door. She was wearing a long dark red dress, accentuated by golden curves. Her hair was dark and short, it hid her left eye.

“Hi.” You answered her greeting. “We’ve never met.”

“I was told there was a new recruit. Welcome.” She simply nodded in your direction. “Now, this might not make for a good first impression, but I was about to train and would like to do so alone.” She stated in what you supposed wanted to be in a friendly manner. She started walking away from you, towards the middle of the room, avoiding passing near you. _Maybe I could see how good she is in a fight._

“Maybe we could train together?” You asked, smiling. _I could use someone to fight._ “You could help me, I could learn…” _This could be interesting._

“Maybe another day. Thank you.” She stood in place waiting for you to leave. There was no point in trying to use your semblance any more. You tried feeling her mind a tad as you slowly turned around to exit; you were met by a wall, figuratively speaking. Everything was blank, like there wasn’t even a person in the room. As you reached for the door, you suddenly picked up Emerald’s brain “footprint”. The door heavily closed behind you and you shook your head. Emerald was nowhere near, you couldn’t possibly have felt her. You definitely had used your semblance too much and your energy levels were probably low. Although it had never happened, you decided it could be possible; you also never had used it so much in only 2 days.

 

You went in search of someone to interrogate in this vast castle. You were happy to find Hazel, sitting in the room where you chatted with Tyrian.

“May I?” you gestured to the chair beside his. His only response was a sigh followed by a slow nod. “He seems like a cheerful one” you thought to yourself. He was sipping on a warm drink, looking outside at the infinite dark sky.

“Emerald told me how Salem wanted to rule over the kingdoms…” You glanced in his directions, searching for a reaction. There was none. “I was just wondering why someone like… you, would want to help her?” _She is curious._ He was probably seeing you as this small little girl; might as well play the role and get answers with some sympathy perhaps? “Obviously, being powerful is a very good-”

“No” he spoke in a soft voice, “I have no care for power.” He simply stated. _I should explain more._ You tried using your semblance but it felt as if his mind was completely shielded. You would definitely have trouble getting answers out of the people around here if they all had crazies’ brains.

“So if it’s not for power, why are you helping her?” You asked and then explained, “I mean, I also have my reasons, obviously, I guess, I’m just curious.” _She really is curious._ He sighed and sipped on his tea.

You were about to leave when he finally explained, “Salem and I have a common enemy.” You waited for a more detailed explanation but it never came. You looked out the window and joined him in his contemplation of the night sky.

 

Later that day, you found yourself helping doctor Watts on his research. You had no idea what he was trying to accomplish but in barely an hour, he went from “months of work needed” to “so close, I can feel it” and ended with “all sciences need time”. You did ask him a few questions about your compatriots. It seemed he could answer anything while deep in thoughts; clearly, he thought the questions would end if he quickly answered each, obviously doing so in the rudest of ways. You did uncover an interesting fact: Hazel’s semblance allowed him to shield pain. This could explain why you couldn’t feel his mind whatsoever. Watts seemed to think it was only in a physical way but you had your doubts. Maybe the man could shield all pain, physical and psychological all the wise. His mind could easily be protected from extern painful experiences and it could feel to you as a literal armor. It would also explain why he was so calm and relaxed all the time. He wouldn’t be able to feel stress which is, in a way, pain. You were left with more questions though. Could he feel emotions? Those weren’t painful per say but could cause such. How would his body know when to stop or flee from a fight if wounded? Was there ever a time he felt pain? Could he stop his semblance? Wouldn’t it stop by itself from exhaustion? He had to feel pain at some point, didn’t he? You were about to announce your retirement from science to Watts when he asked you a question.

“Have you met Cinder yet?” To your puzzled look, he added, “Short hair, red dress?”

“Yes I have” you answered as you held one more tube for the scientist, “we didn’t talk much though.”

“Obviously not.” He chuckled.

“I would’ve helped her but she said she needed to be alone.”

“Wait” he looked up at you, stopping in his scribbling, “she said?” he asked, emphasizing the verb.

“Yes... She spoke.” He seemed as confused by this as you were at that moment.

“No. Cinder can’t speak. Ever since she was defeated by that girl, she’s been practically mute, using her little thief as a megaphone. You must have misheard.” You looked at him. It didn’t feel as though he was playing you. He looked rightfully confused. You had yet another mystery to uncover.

“Maybe you’re right doctor. I should get some rest. I hope I was of some help today.” You gave him his tube back, slightly bowed in his direction and left promptly the library.

Heading to the kitchen, you couldn’t help but remember the glimpse of Emerald’s mind you had felt earlier as you spoke with Cinder and the fact that Cinder’s brain felt completely absent. People were definitely all kinds of bizarre in this fortress.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eh eh eh...


	9. A new goal

You woke up the next morning from a prompt knock on your door. You quickly made sure your clothes were presentable; you slept with the same clothes on, not bothered to change up, and opened the door. Hazel was standing there, his stern expression still on.   
“Salem wants to see you. Now.” He specified simply.   
“Yeah… Ok.” You closed the door and went to the sink to wet your face a tad. You put on some shoes and left to go meet with Salem.

As you walked to the dining room, you mentally listed everything you had learned about everyone’s allegiance in the past few days. Emerald seemed rightfully scared of Salem. She was definitely in the game for that Cinder. Watts seemed outright angry at the whole world, or insulted by it. With all the gibberish he’d been going on about while you helped him, it seemed he was in for revenge. Tyrian was simply mad. He clearly had a taste for blood and violence and as long as Salem would provide with such, you were convinced Tyrian would follow in her trail. You simply had no idea what Hazel thought a part from having a common enemy. You were only left to wonder what would happen once the said enemy would be discarded of. Cinder was a mystery. The scientist had said she couldn’t speak and yet, you had clearly heard her. So, as far as then, everyone seemed on board with Salem’s plans, each for their own reasons.

You arrived to the room and knocked twice before popping your head in. Salem and hazel were both sitting at the table.   
“Thank you Hazel. I trust you to secure this alliance later on.” Salem said. “You may leave us now” The man nodded, stood up and left, without a word or a glance at you. You wondered if she was talking about the faunus alliance or some other one. You approached the table and waited in front of Salem. “Sit.” She commanded sternly. Her presence was still a frightening sight and you doubted you’d ever get used to it. You sat down. “It’s been a few days already. Have you met everyone?”  
“No yet, no. I passed by Cinder yesterday but couldn’t speak with her and I haven’t seen Mercury.”  
“Very well. What about the others, do report on your findings, if you have any…” You felt a hunch of threat in that last comment.  
“Hazel is in it because of a common enemy. As long as that enemy lives, he will follow you.”  
“That won’t be too much of an issue.” She almost smiled. The thought of her smiling crossed your mind and sent chills down your spine.  
“Watts seems on a revenge path against the whole world and so as long as you give him the means to work, he won’t betray you. As a scientific, you would think he didn’t want chaos but his need for what he calls justice is blinding him.” You explained. Salem sighed. “Tyrian is mad and only wants carnage and good fights.”   
“You are not telling me anything new Miss Silver.” Salem said in a dry tone. Her expression stated blank and you were tempted to use your semblance. You were smart enough to not even try.  
“I’m sorry. I only exchanged a few words with each. They seem all on board with your plan for different reasons, except maybe Emerald.” Salem raised an eyebrow to the mention of the girl’s name. “She is here because of Cinder, and no other reason. I doubt she’d betray you, simply because of how scared she is of you… But if Cinder wasn’t here, she wouldn’t.”   
“I suspected that yes.” Salem slowly said, clearly thinking about something. Her eyes stayed focused on you.   
“I still have Mercury to meet, and if I was allowed to, I could learn more about each and every one…”   
“Very well. I have noticed Mercury spends most of his time fighting outside and avoiding everyone here, which frankly could pose a problem. Meet him this afternoon for training. I will make sure he is there.” You nodded and started getting up when she continued, “Eerie, please, do make yourself more useful from now on.” You got up and left the room quickly. You headed to the kitchen with those last words echoing in your mind. 

Adrenaline was rushing through your veins. Salem was absolutely terrifying. This challenge just became a lot more difficult. You had joined with the team, bonded with some of the people around, but you had so much more to discover. Who were they? What could they do? What was Salem’s plan? Most of all, the challenge would be to stay alive. Obviously, once you knew everything, Salem wouldn’t let you leave, or live, for that matter. Did you want to really join them? Or to even help them? You didn’t care what happened to the world, you never did, and it never cared for you in any way either. Could you obey to Salem? Did you want to? Not particularly. You never were one to follow. 

As you reached the kitchen, you came to the conclusion you now had a second objective: leaving this place alive. This was becoming more and more exciting. 

After breakfast, you spent the day exploring the castle, trying to remember as many details as possible, like which window could be open, which room led where, etc. After lunch, you got ready to train and headed out meet your front door neighbour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I am so sorry for the hiatus. Here. enjoy a quick one. To apologize, next one will follow up soon. (as in tonight or tmw max)


	10. An arrogant idiot

You entered the training room. Torches hung up all around the room lighted it softly. The floor was all dirt. Looking closely you realized the room had been carved out of the side of the cliff beside which the castle rested. You walked up to the middle and waited, standing still. Salem said she would make sure Mercury would be here at this time. Were you supposed to train together? You did have some energy to release after all that mental workout you’d been doing, using your semblance, meeting people, trying to fit in and manipulate them to know more. Throwing a few punches would be welcomed.

 

You waited for what seemed half an hour. The door finally opened and an angry man or teen more accurately, entered the room. He seemed to be about Emerald’s age and was at least a feet and half taller than you. Emerald had been right when she said your clothes matched. Except where his pants were black, yours were grey and where you top was black, his vest was grey. He had some boots on and no apparent weapon. Obviously you had your rings, your gun on your right leg and your hidden blade under your long sleeve. His eyes were a silver-grey shade. He was well built as well. “This is gonna be interesting…” you thought to yourself. He walked towards you with a smirk. You activated your semblance just to feel his state of mind. It felt as if he was pissed, not only at you, but at the whole world. You internally rolled your eyes, “great, a teenage boy angst …”

 

Stopping a few feet from you, he introduced himself, “We haven’t met. I’m Mercury.” Not letting you speak, he quickly continued, “I’ve been told you need some help with your fighting. And this is why I’m here. I didn’t particularly want to, but I figured it’d be fun to kick someone’s ass.” He smirked at you. You scoffed. He definitely was arrogant, but it wasn’t to your dislike. Arrogant fighters, from your experience, were that much more enjoyable to defeat. You did have one point in common; you both wanted some fun from this training. You were about to answer back with a snide comment when you decided otherwise.

You were here on a mission; you had to learn more about him, not play with him. “I need to watch myself with this one. Stay focused Eerie.” You mentally scolded yourself.

As you didn’t answer to his jab, he continued, “for today, let’s see how’s your basis. No weapon, no semblance.”

You nodded in response. You hadn’t planned on using your semblance anymore anyway. You wanted to make sure you’d have an advantage on him if it ever became necessary to actually fight him. Before you could even answer him, you had to avoid a kick to your right.

“Quick reflexes. Good.” He smirked again. You could see he hadn’t planned on you being this quick to react as you threw a few punches. He was able to evade all of them. You continued for a little while to spare like this. Both of you avoided and blocked the other’s punches and kicks with ease.

“Well, you aren’t as bad as I thought you’d be…” He said, taking a few steps back from you to regain his balance. “This ass kicking will be a challenge after all.” He smiled as you realized your mistake. Salem probably told him you needed training, and so, you needed to play the part.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself; I am a better fighter than I look.” You smiled.

“So she speaks!” He chuckled. “Let’s see if you can back those claims yes?” With that, you heard a loud gunshot followed by a metallic sound. You had raised your hand just in time for the bullet to hit your rings.

“I thought we said no weapons?” You looked at him; he seemed very pleased with his trick.

“I changed my mind.” With that, the fight continued. He started shooting at you with his boots, or more accurately, the guns attached to his boots. You quickly let your rings slid off your fingers to form your stick. You were careful this time to miss a few times and let him actually hit you once or twice. After a couple of minutes of sparring both at close and long range, you decided it was time to end the fight. Getting closer to Mercury, you blocked his kick with the black part of your weapon, activating it at the same tie. A thick black smoke came out of it, quickly making a cloud surrounding the both of you. You leapt out of his reach just far enough so the smoke would hide you. Swinging your stick, you hit the ground behind you with the red end, creating a small explosion that propelled you frontward towards your opponent. Not being able to see you, Mercury was taken off guard. However, he was quick on his feet and jumped to the side, avoiding your hit. He swung his foot, twirling at the same time and made contact with your back. The blow was hard and it almost used your entire aura to protect yourself. Seizing the opportunity, you decided to let yourself tumble down, out of the smoke, making it look like you weren’t able to get back up. You landed on your stomach a few meters away. Before you could even turn around, you felt a heavy boot pressing on your back keeping you down. Stretching your neck, you glanced at a smirking Mercury, celebrating his victory.

“Do you yield?” He asked. You could hear the vanity and eagerness to have won in his voice. As hard as it was for you to do it, you decided it was better to have him believe he could beat you.

With a grunt you let out in one breath, “Yes, you win.” You felt the boot disappear from your back. You turned around, and not to your surprise, saw him ginning. He offered a hand to get up and you forced yourself to accept, swallowing your ego.

“Your weapon is great by the way. I have never seen something like.” He examined it while you retracted it back into four rings. “And the best thing about it is that you totally mastered it.” He analyzed. You had wrongly assumed he was an arrogant idiot. You shouldn’t have let appearance fool you; this guy was smart and it made for him of an even better fighter.

“Thank you.” You smiled, “I apparently still need practice though.”

He scoffed, “Yeah that’s for sure.” He turned around and headed out the door.

“Mercury!” You shouted before he left through the door, “I will want a rematch soon.”

He left with a laugh.

 

This boy was definitely going to be hard to get. Not that he was weirder than Tyrian, or more closed off than Hazel, no; the problem would be that he was the kind of guy you’d want to play with. “I have no time to play here…” You sighed.

 

A soft chuckle came from your right. Out of thin air, Emerald’s image flickered beside you before completely appearing. You jumped to the side, surprised and shocked by her apparition.

“What- What are you doing here? How?” You asked. _Poor thing I scared her. I should explain._ You could feel your semblance did not have as much effect as it should’ve had. You were exhausted from fighting and using your aura to protect yourself.

She laughed, “Don’t be scared Eerie, it’s just me.” _I should let her know how I did it._ You had used a good amount of energy to block Mercury’s kicks. He definitely had strong legs. “I quite enjoyed that little sparring you two had.”

“You were here the whole time?” _I should tell her._ You focused all of what was left of your aura to get Emerald to talk.

 “Yes.” She chuckled. “I saw it all. It’s my semblance, I can make people see what I want them to see, or in this case, not see.” She briefly explained. You nodded slowly, calming your heartbeat down. This information now appeared as capital to you. Not being able to know if Emerald was around would complicate your life. What if she had heard your conversation with Salem?

“Your secret is safe with me by the way, don’t worry.” She shrugged, apparently thinking you knew what she was talking about.

 “What secret, I don’t know what you’re talking about…” You tried to play it off, but even you could sense the worry in your voice. She might knew about your own semblance after all... You started evaluating the situation, thinking how you’d explain it to Emerald to keep her trust.

“Maybe Mercury is blinded by his own pride, but you definitely are a better fighter than him.” She said. She didn’t learn about your power. You sighed of relief. Her eyes then shifted from amused to concern. “Why did you let him win?”

The question brought you back to high speed thinking. What could you tell her that would be believable enough? What could you say to keep her trusting you completely? And in a flash, you found the answer.

“Okay. I’ll tell you but you better not screw this up for me” you fakely warned her, “I think Mercury isn’t half bad looking and by experience, beating a guy in a fight isn’t the best way to get on his good side…” You dropped your gaze down, trying to make it look like you were a tad ashamed of your pitiful reasons.

She scoffed, “I don’t see what you see Eerie, but I’ll tell you this; if you can flatter mercury’s ego, you’ll get him just like that” she snaped her fingers. You gave her a quick smile. You felt your answer had worked.

 

On one hand, it was the perfect lie, but on the other hand, was it completely lies? A small mischievous voice whispered in your brain that you could definitely have a bit of fun while on your mission…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> erm.. Where is this going? Enjoy teh chapter while it's up. Futur me might delete it. (jokes aside, don't worry, I won't fall into some romantic story. I dont think it'd bring anything to the story anyway.)


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